I hear ya there!
The article on Lissala is in AP #65: Into the Nightmare Rift.
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no time to get in a post in character this morning, sorry guys.
Although, I am keen on Fenyx's idea.
I get off at 8:30 tonight so I'll be able to get a post up sometime after that. If I'm the only thing holding us back, you can feel free to assume that Styvanus is going to back the ambush idea.
See you guys later tonight!
Okay, here's the map:
The map makes some assumptions that you're going to create the diversionary campfire and make it appear as though it is attempted to be hidden.
And here is the map of the lumber camps with Talavuc's recommended areas where traps could be used to maximized efficiency by forcing targets into trapped bottlenecks while also giving a save "route" for allies.
What software are you using to generate the images for the maps? Doesn't look like Maptool.
When I need to quickly render environments/buildings/etc I search for stuff on google, typically old dundjinni tilesets, but all of it is composed in photoshop. Some of the map stuff is made entirely by hand, like the Red Wraith. That was created entirely from scratch.
Damn, you got skillz.
Does the party think I should take craft (Traps) at next level? That would be an additional +4 to my already +5.
Do you envison that being something Ar'Zarrcal would have an inclination for? I saw him more as a eldrich smith but that was just me. *shrug* It's upto you.
I have Profession: soldier +4 would you allow me to use that to try to recall tactics or aid us someone in setting up this ambush?
Use of Profession (soldier) would be more helpful in directing subordinates effectively, as outlined in the skill description for supervising helpers. It does reflect that Teladon would excel at supervising the creation and implementation of the traps, but the group at present wouldn't benefit in any measurable way from the supervision in a purely mechanical sense.
On the other hand, just by taking a 10 on that Teladon could personally see that the plan of attack for the ambush is a sound strategy. Not beneficial to the group as a whole, but certainly a personal way to extinguish any flames of doubt about the party's competence.
: I think you all have a plan figured out, but you need to confirm it to me and start hammering out the details.
1) How many traps are you making?
1a) What kinds of traps?
1b) Who is making what traps? (and include relevent checks to craft)
2) What squares are the traps being placed in?
3) Where will the PCs be as they lie in wait for the trap? (several have made in-character suggestions already)
4) Any other details you would need me to know before I advance the timetable ahead.
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But certainly a personal way to extinguish any flames of doubt about the party's competence.
Competent? Perhaps.. but they are still humans.
Lucent,
I would want to hide under the snow. Before I did, I would cast shocking grasp. I can hold the charge for as long as I wish so I would pre-load my sword with it. I have several arrows I can contibute to the spiked trap. I doubt I could craft the trap on my own but I would be willing to aid in the assitance of one.
Rasso is going to bury himself at J20, but purposefully do a sh*t job of it. With the intent that he will be spotted and serve as bait.
The point was to lure them in with a trap, already giving them bait. Burying yourself like that is likely to alert them to a trap early and possibly make it less likely to work properly.
If you want to be bait, I'd stay at the campfire and being acting as a guard while packed bedrolls look like the rest of the group sleeping.
Or the rest of the group got blown up and I'm the only one left? How would a single person there make it any less tempting?
Leaving a campfire nearby and then burying yourself in the snow nearby? It speaks of trap to me and would set me on alert immediately. Even if I thought it likely that the rest of the group was blown up, it carries the notion of a trap.
Why hint at a trap when you can make a trap that doesn't give its nature away? Better to surprise the enemy completely than to give them a possible lead on what you're really thinking.
I agree with Talavuc, I think that the best idea would be to pretend to be asleep next to the fire. Being half covered in snow would put them on the alert and likely ruin the ambush.
@Lucent: What direction do I think it's likely that the hunters will come from? North? Is there an obvious path to follow?
I'll be making three traps, likely the spiked pit ones. I'm trying to figure out where to place them now.
I guess I can just sit there.
If they are coming from the woods they'll likely come from the north. More troublesome is (as the party could collectively deduce with ease) is that they will likely fan out to surround their prospective targets. Without knowing their exact numbers its hard to assess how spread out they might be. Odds are good most will come in from the north.
And yes, the map is aligned with north at the top.
I believe that the only one who can successfully make the traps with the DC 20 is Talavuc.
If we combine the dwarf and the half-orc's aid to the attempt of the captain we fall short at 19. ( 15 + 2 +2 )
Then my thoughts are to place spiked pit traps at C14, C23, and G6. The idea is to spread them around the perimeter in a style that implies we are trying to protect the perimeter of the campsite and provide a possible early warning system. Also, I'm assuming that any foes coming from the north will be sticking to the walls and staying in snowy areas to avoid noise making rubble.
If everyone agrees with that plan above, (Talavuc, let me know what you're using for the improvised spikes), I can go with that. I'll give a day for further suggestions/refinement, then go with what looks like your plan of action sometime tomorrow evening. If people don't specify where they'll be hiding/what they'll be doing/readying I'll make some assumptions myself.
In case I don't get a chance to do a formal post in the gameplay thread: Fenyx will volunteer to be a "survivor," using his sleeves of many garments to alter his clothes accordingly. He will, of course, relay what he recalled with his Knowledge (History) check, suggesting that at least a couple of the party pose as surrendering survivors to lure the hunters in before the rest of the party springs the trap proper.
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Styvanus would offer to serve as campfire bait with Rasso and Fenyx, since he's not too sneaky.
While It's a interesting suggestion to have a couple of the party pose as surrendering survivors to lure the hunters in before the rest of the party springs the trap, but does any of us really have the bluffing ability to sell that?
The only problem that I worry about with having people actually in the campsite is that our enemies have shown the desire to kill us through any means possible rather than attempt to capture. They may just snipe anyone in the campsite from a distance or use explosives, but this would apply even if no one was actually in the campsite, they just wouldn't have anyone to kill. Once they had thought everyone was dead, they'd check it and then the trap would be sprung. This is simply a worry, not necessarily what our foes will do.
@Lucent: I'd like to use pieces of fire-hardened wood from the surrounding ruins. If not, I hope that one of the others in the party would be willing to volunteer some arrows. Will any of the ammunition used in the trap be recoverable after the fight?
Well, the walls should hopefully give us some cover from ranged attacks. If they start shooting no one says we just have to sit there and do nothing about it.
Do I have time to get in an eight hour rest while all these traps are being built? Or rather, since we don't know when the baddies are coming Rasso will start resting as soon as its clear that we're staying here and setting a trap, in an attempt to get his spells back before anything kicks off.
With a campfire you're sitting in light. Someone can sit in a dark spot and snipe from it, making it extremely difficult to return fire. That's why I'm wanting to ensure that they come to investigate the camp. Otherwise, we're still at the same disadvantage that we would be if we're attacked while trying to pursue them.
An 8 hour rest would be awesome. I won't be getting one, however. I've got traps to make! :)
@Rasso: You can try to get 8 hours of rest. You know that there's 3 hours before dark, but obviously no idea how long it will take for the ambush to come. Where will you be resting? Around the decoy campfire? Thankfully, you won't need to sleep to get 8 hours of restful calm, so you won't need to resummon your eidolon.
@Everyone: I will be putting together the ambush scene this afternoon (sometime between 1 and 5pm EST, depending on what's going on at the office), so please have any preparations you're taking ready.
Also, I've noticed Marcellano has been MIA for a little while. His player was working on a character for another campaign of mine and hadn't shown up, so it looks like something might have come up for him, so I'll likely need to come up with a plan for him during this encounter and NPC him.
If anyone has a suggestion on where/what they would like Marcellano to be/do please list it here and I'll consider him "along for the plan."
Yeah, around the campfire.
Can someone volunteer the arrows for the pit trap? I want to make sure that I'm actually getting them and that they're marked off.
@Lucent: How many arrows are needed for each pit?
@Rasso, Fenyx, and Styvanus: I've got an obscuring mist spell prepared. If you come under fire, do you want me to drop the spell on top of you to break LoS?
That would be great, thanks.
Talavuc I have arrows I could help supply for the trap. I would want to keep at least 10 for myself so I have 28 I could give you. That should be enough. I also want to bury myself at I-15, close enough to support the group but far enough away that I could attack from behind.
I have crossbow bolts if needed as well. In addition, you can scavenge wood from the surrounding area. I can use my mending ability to make the timbers whole and then we can just carve them into sharp points.
Each pit needs 5 arrows or bolts. Alternately you can use makeshift spikes out of the wood as Ar'Z suggests. Either case would be useful. Any arrows used in traps that are sprung will be considered destroyed. Arrows used in un-sprung traps will be reusable.
Since Ar'Zarrcal can make the sharpened points via mending I say we do that. I'm unsure how long it could be before I get more arrows and any resources we can save would probably be for the best.
BTW Lucent.. I just wanted to tell you how happy I was to stumble onto this group. I love what you have done with the AP and the feel you have managed to capture has been really, really fantastic. You gotta let me know if you ever decide to start up another AP pbp!
Just to clarify his intent, Fenyx is in agreement with the pit traps, but he wants to take just a few more precautions to keep their false camp from being overrun and the three "survivors" butchered. His intention is to set a fire trap along the entrance to the building where camp is being set. For this, he's going to need either some oil from someone in the party (I know Marcellano has some, dunno about others) or an alchemist's fire (again, Marcellano, but I'd rather avoid trying for that given that he might be NPCed at the moment). He wants to disguise the trap as a crude, makeshift barricade. The idea is to entice people to jump over it to avoid stepping on sharp bits of something, at which point they would presumably fall into the pit trap beyond. That's when Fenyx will ignite the "barricade" behind those in the pit, hopefully preventing further men from pouring in while preventing those who have fell in from escaping Rasso and Styvanus.
We may want to construct a makeshift ladder out of either ropes (or Fenyx's any-tool if turning it into a ladder isn't too much of a stretch) so that those within the trapped up camp have a reliable way of rejoining the party outside.
"Ladder": H22
"Barricade" (Fire Trap): G18, G19, G20, G21.
I think Ar'Z can use rope trick to make an easily climbable rope, if I recall correctly. Turning the any-tool into a ladder I think is a bit much due to size differences.
@Teladon: Haha, thanks man :)
I will probably do Wrath of the Righteous after this provided Rasso doesn't incorporate it into his current Worldwound campaign.
@Fenyx: With the barricade, what you're doing is just soaking the wood in oil and then will ignite it with spark, right? That won't really take any skill checks to make and should only occupy about a half hour of time. If Marcellano hasn't chimed in before I put together my post, consider his aid with oil implicit since he's been generally pretty helpful. It'll take one flask per square of barricade, so I'll have to check his reserves.
Yes to the spark ignition.
Writing my post now based on what info I have.
I stated in the above post I wanted to bury myself at I-15, would that still be possible? It would put me within movement range of E-14
Wow Lucent! Awesome setup and story!
For reference, Ordrud also has darkvision 60 ft.
cheers
@Teladon: Oh! Sorry, I looked back and couldn't find the marker you stated. I can move you to I-15 that is perfectly fine. Consider yourself repositioned there, I've adjusted you on the google map.
You guys are going to be getting some nice bonus XP for this ambush plan. It's really clever and totally unexpected.
Thanks! I'll be posting shortly.